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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29501199">You're Not Alone (In Fact There Are Many Like You)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/elricsyao/pseuds/elricsyao'>elricsyao</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood &amp; Manga</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Aromantic Edward Elric, Asexual Edward Elric, Asexual Ling Yao, Demiromantic Roy Mustang, Demisexual Winry Rockbell, Ed and Ling's Relationship is an example of that, Ed deserves a family, Every is aspec, F/M, Found Family, Gen, Happy Ending, I take Ed's angst and multiply it by 1000, Internalized arophobia prevalent throughout, M/M, Mid-Canon, OP is aroace, Parental Maes Hughes, Parental Roy Mustang, Pre-Canon, Queerplatonic Relationships, So is Maes and Roy's, This a whole fic is basically Ed learning that he can't feel romantic attraction and that's alright, aroace Edward Elric, mentions of acephobia, post promised day events</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:22:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,125</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29501199</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/elricsyao/pseuds/elricsyao</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <b>Romantic attraction: <b></b></b>
</p><p>  <b>Attraction which makes people desire romantic contact or interaction with another person or persons. <b></b></b></p><p>With the world seeming to put so much weight on one's romantic interests, discovering you're Aromantic can be a lonely experience. For Edward Elric, that's all he's ever known. However, when he joins the military, he discovers something different yet just as meaningful. He finds a second family, a life partner, and a stronger bond with his brother. Romance is hardly the only way to find love.</p><p> </p><p>  </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Brief Edward Elric/original characters, Edward Elric &amp; Alphonse Elric, Edward Elric &amp; Greed, Edward Elric &amp; Ling Yao, Edward Elric &amp; Maes Hughes, Edward Elric &amp; Roy Mustang, Edward Elric &amp; Team Mustang, Edward Elric &amp; Winry Rockbell, Edward Elric/Ling Yao, Gracia Hughes &amp; Roy Mustang &amp; Maes Hughes, Gracia Hughes/Maes Hughes, Mentions of Roy Mustang /Riza Hawkeye, Mentions of Roy Mustang/Maes Hughes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>66</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi All! I'm back with a new multi-chapter fic! This time it's with a fic that deals with something near and dear to my heart. You don't see many fics in the fma fandom where the characters are ace spec or aro spec. One day I finally decided that if it didn't exist, then I'll make it myself. I really need to thank those who've listened to me ramble and who've shown interest in the snippets I've shared. I really need to thank y'all in the edling server for being so kind and interested in this fic. I need to thank my friends who listened to me ramble for ages about this fic. So thank y'all so much. I need to thank Cece, SirryGray for their AroAce Ed headcannons that helped me realize that Ed really does seem Aromantic. I really need to thank my betareaders, so thank y'all so much for taking your time to read this fic. One final note is that I would love to hear what y'all think. It means a lot! So feel free to leave comments telling me your thoughts. Thank you!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It started when he was young, the talk about romance and love. As early as Ed could remember, his mother had told him that he'd find a nice girl, marry her, and grow old with her. He'd been five then. He'd not questioned it then. After all, that was how the world worked when you were five years old.</p>
<hr/><p>It wasn't until the age of 7 that Ed began to believe he was different. It had been a typical day: he, Al, and Winry played together, the game was unimportant. He was having fun. Until Al and Winry brought up who would marry her. <em> It was so obnoxious </em>.</p><p>"I'm going to marry her, brother!" Al announced. Ed shrugged. It didn't matter to him. Al could marry whoever he wanted. He didn't understand why his little brother was trying to make this seem like a competition. </p><p>"Have fun with that, Al," he deadpanned, flipping through his book and ignoring the strange looks Winry and Al were giving him. He frowned. Was he supposed to want to marry Winry? Ed guessed he wasn't opposed to the idea, but were they supposed to fight over her? He glanced back over to his brother and Winry; they were talking. Well, it couldn't hurt to play along. It was only a game.</p><p>He sighed and placed the book down. He grinned mischievously and jumped on the both of them, laughing at their sounds of protest. "Who said you could marry Winry, Al!" He snarled playfully, evading the playful punches his brother threw his way. Winry moved off to the side, laughing as the two of them wrestled.  </p><p>Finally, the two blonds collapsed in a heap, Al pinning Ed by the arms. They panted, laying in the grass.</p><p>"I win, brother!" Al yelled triumphantly, a smirk on his face. The older stopped flailing and instead slumped into the warm grass, eyes closing. Al flopped down beside him, Winry on his other side. It was nice. This was nice. Why couldn't they stay like this forever: him, Al, and Winry against the world? There was no point in either of them marrying her.</p><p>Finally, Al broke the silence. "Do you want to get <em> married </em>, Winry?" The small blond asked, a smile in his voice. Ed just rolled his eyes. Sometimes he didn’t understand his brother. What was so great about getting married anyway?</p><p>Ed sighed, heaving himself onto his feet. "I'm going to talk to mom," he announced as he walked away, not waiting for his little brother's answer. </p><p>"Tell mom I'll be home in a little while!" Al yelled after him. Ed waved him off. He padded back to the house, deep in his thoughts. If he didn’t feel any romantic feelings then was it possible to still get married one day? Would people think he was a weirdo? Surely it had to be something he’d grow out of. Even mom had said it was something he'd grow out of a few years ago. However, here he was at age 7, still uninterested.</p><p>When he reached the house, he announced his arrival with a boisterous, "I'm home!" Pinako yelled a reply at him from another room. He sighed. The old hag was here again, probably to bring his mother something.</p><p>He walked into his mother's bedroom, smiling at her from the door. Her face was pale and her eyes hazy, but she still smiled back. She was getting sicker. Pinako sat beside her, an open book in her lap. He climbed onto the bed and into his mother’s lap, laying his head on her chest. Her heartbeat thudded loudly in his ears.</p><p>"You're home earlier than I thought you'd be," she said after a moment, brushing trembling fingers through his hair. Something bubbled in his chest and the urge to get his worries off his chest grew.</p><p>She might not be here much longer for him to ask her.</p><p>He sighed. "Do people really fall in love, mama?" he asked quietly. Ed knew he was young, but not too young that he didn’t know that there were different forms and types of love. He loved his mama and Al. And as much as he pretended to dislike Winry and annoy her, he loved her too, in the way you love a friend or close family member.</p><p>There was a chuckle from above him and Trisha buried her face in his hair for a moment. "Everyone does eventually, sweetheart. It's a natural part of life. I fell in love with your father. How do you think you'd come along if I didn't love him?"</p><p>Ed scowled at the mention of that bastard's name. "But what if someone can't fall in love or can't experience love in the way you loved dad?" The small blond asked after a moment. The fingers that were combing through his hair paused and from the corner of his eye, he saw her looking down at him with a perplexed expression on her pale face.</p><p>She sighed after a moment, her fingers resuming their previous path through his unruly hair. She chuckled softly. "I'm sure some people can’t, sweetheart, but I've never met anyone who's never fallen in love. You have a long time before you have to fall in love, my dear."</p><p>Ed's confusion grew. "But Al was trying to get me to fight with him over who'd get to marry Winry, and I wasn't interested at all!" he protested. Surely that had to mean <em> something! </em> Or was he really just confused? Ugh! He didn't know!</p><p>"Honey, sweetheart, you're overthinking it. You're young. I'm sure you will fall in love with someone eventually. Maybe that someone will be Winry?” She nudged him, smiling that all-knowing smile that Ed loved about her.</p><p>Ed's face burned with embarrassment. "Mooom!" he groaned, burying his face in her side. It was going to be fine; when he was older, he'd fall in love with someone and maybe eventually get married. That's how it worked. He was being silly.</p><p>"I love you, mom," he said softly. She was warm, but her body was trembling as if she was cold. The fever was probably coming back. Pinako would probably be back soon and force him out. He looked up at her. Her brown eyes were half-lidded and it looked like she was being lulled into a fever-induced sleep.</p><p>"I love you too, sweetheart." He could barely hear it. The amusement from minutes earlier flooded out of him, replaced by ice-cold fear. He should probably get to dinner; Pinako usually expected them at dinner and joined them when a nurse showed up. </p><p>He breathed deeply. They could talk more when she got better. And if he was concerned... well. It would be best not to stress her out too much at the moment. He sat up and hugged her. He fought the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. He couldn’t lose her.</p><p>"I'll be back soon, okay?" She didn’t answer. He looked up at her face and she had fallen asleep. He smiled softly and pressed a kiss to her temple. He closed the door on his way out and forced a smile on his face when he saw Al at the door with a questioning expression.</p><p>"She's resting," he said quietly.</p><p>Al breathed a sigh of relief. "C'mon, let's go to dinner."</p>
<hr/><p>She died three days later on a rainy, gloomy day. Her funeral and the month immediately following passed in a dazed blur for Ed. It was hard; it was very hard without her. There were many nights of silent crying. Al cried loudly in the bed beside him and Pinako tried to comfort him. </p><p>The weeks following his mother’s death were awful. There were some days where he was sick with grief, unable to even get out of bed. Other days, his grief made it hard to eat but Pinako and Winry stayed through it all. Winry was the one to drag him out of bed and into the yard where they would soak in the sun. It was with Winry and Pinako’s help that drug him out of that hole of grief. During long nights, he held Al and promised him that he would bring their mother back.</p><p>Time passed slowly; he jumped from birthday to birthday. They tried to bring mom back. They failed. He bound his brother to a suit of armor. He joined the military. He got automail. It was a painful process. There were days he'd almost break down in tears due to the pain, but he refused to cry.</p><p>He had a lot of time to himself during his recovery, which allowed him to spend more time with Winry. They'd spend sunny days out in the grass after Ed pushed himself hard. She'd brush calloused fingers through his hair. It reminded him of his mom. Then she bent forward to be closer to his face. The fingers in his hair came to a stop. He was confused. Then Winry closed the distance between them.</p><p>He was 11 and a half when she kissed him.</p><p>He was 11 and a half when he realized he didn't feel anything from it.</p><p>He had expected to feel one of the emotions his mother had said that she felt when she had fallen in love with that bastard. He'd been grossed out, but he paid close attention, so he knew what to look for: butterflies in her stomach (whatever that meant), nervousness around him, and wanting to spend every moment with him.</p><p>He didn’t get butterflies or felt nervous after her lips pulled away. He felt nothing of what had been described by others around him. He could feel his face burning, but only because he was flustered. All he could feel was shame.</p><p>Winry pulled back and turned to focus on the sunset, her face flushed. He could tell she was fighting the smile on her face. A smile that showed that she liked kissing him. Ed could feel his face fall, the shame overwhelming any other emotion. He hadn't felt a thing. Not even a bit of interest in continuing later when they were older. </p><p>His suspicion had been confirmed, or maybe it hadn't. Perhaps it's just Winry; maybe he wasn’t interested in her. That had to be it. It was impossible, right? It had to be impossible that he couldn't feel anything from a kiss.</p><p>He turned his face to her stomach, sighing softly as she returned to brushing fingers through his hair. Maybe. . .maybe he could ask to kiss her again? Not at this moment, of course, but when they were older. Perhaps if he kissed someone that wasn't Winry, he'd figure out that it was just Winry that he didn't have feelings for.</p><p>Everything would be alright. He'd still be Winry's friend even if he wasn't romantically interested in her. They would stay friends and everything would be fine.</p><p>
  <em> He would be fine. </em>
</p>
<hr/><p>The rest of his recovery went by in a blur. Some days were long, while others passed quickly. The installation process was painful, but he refused to scream or cry. Winry was there, brushing sweat-soaked strands of hair out of his face as he panted and growled against the pain.</p><p>They never spoke of the kiss again, but he'd catch glimpses of Winry staring at him from the corner of his eye. He could never tell her expression. He wondered if she wanted to say something. </p><p>Spring came to pass into autumn with the first falling leaves. It was one of the early days of September when Ed could finally walk without Pinako’s or Winry's support. The day had been a celebration, Ed smiling brightly, a rare genuine smile. Al hugged him tightly.</p><p>The rest of the month flew by quickly, except for the last day. The day Ed told Al of his plans for October 3rd. He couldn't deny getting a little teary-eyed at the thought of burning his house down. The place where he and Al were raised, where their father left them, where mom died一</p><p>Where they committed the biggest mistake of their lives.</p><p>October 3rd came and went. Surprisingly, he didn’t cry. They left Resembool the day after, shutting the door on that part of their life with a hard slam. He would always remember the tears pouring out of Winry's eyes and down her face as she waved them goodbye. There was a feeling of cold regret as the train pulled out of the station.</p><p>Some things couldn't be shut away.</p><p>The train ride to East City was a quiet affair; both boys had their minds occupied with different things. After a while, Ed curled up on the seat and leaned his head on the window. Winry's face passed through his mind and he grimaced when he remembered the tears. </p><p>She was on his mind a lot these past few months, ever since the kiss.</p><p>"Brother." Al's voice interrupted his thoughts and he turned towards his younger brother. </p><p>"Yeah, Al?" </p><p>"Did something happen between you and Winry?"</p><p>Ed looked away. He knew the emotions showed clear on his face and cursed himself for not having a good poker face.</p><p>"Hah! I knew it!" Al cheered triumphantly. Ed only grimaced.</p><p>"I. . . don't really want to talk about it, Al." </p><p>Al was silent for a few moments before he spoke up again. "Did you kiss her, brother?"</p><p>Ed couldn't determine the tone of Al's voice. He once again cursed himself for putting Al in that armor. He let a small amount of self-hatred flow through him before he turned to him.</p><p>"I一we. . .yeah we did." The quiet after his confession felt awkward and his face burned with embarrassment and some other unknown emotion. "Go ahead, make fun of me," he muttered. He was prepared for Al to tease him and not for what his brother actually said next.</p><p>"It's ok not to know how to feel, brother. If I had kissed Winry, I don't know how I'd feel, but I think I'd like it," the suit of armor said, and Ed's heart slowly cracked. Of course, Al wouldn't understand even if he told him his suspicion. But Al wasn't finished speaking. "Who am I kidding, I won't be able to kiss her or anyone for a long time."</p><p>Ed's heart broke fully. He could feel it in his chest, tugging forcefully at him. He turned his face back towards the swiftly passing scenery. There was no way he'd tell him now; Al shouldn't have to hear or deal with his worries about romance when he couldn't experience it himself.</p><p>
  <em> Don't worry, Al. We're going to get your body back. </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi! I'm so sorry for taking so long to get this posted! I really appreciate the comments and I'm so happy that so many people like the beginning. Thank you so much for all of the kudos, I really appreciate it. You can find me on twitter and tumble under the username elricsyao. Feel free to follow my fma and edling discord server ( https://discord.gg/A8B6SZY9KX ). I hope you enjoy this chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The days following Ed’s arrival to East City passed slowly. He kept himself busy with paperwork and desperately tried, and failed, to convince Mustang to send him on his first mission. "In time, Fullmetal," the lieutenant colonel said each time, making Ed want to punch the bastard in the face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>During that period of absolute boredom, he got to know members of Mustang's team. There was Hawkeye, the only woman on the team and the bastard's adjutant. She was the only member who consistently wore a blank expression and whipped Mustang into place when he needed it. But Ed knew she cared deeply about the lieutenant colonel and the others on the team.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then there was Breda, a heavier-set red-haired man. He smiled at Ed politely as he shook his hand. "If you ever need a snack, just come to me. I always stockpile," the man laughed. Ed grinned and took him up on the offer. The man passed him a chocolate bar, and he pretended not to notice the annoyed look Hawkeye threw to Breda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fuery was the next to approach him and Al. His eyes widened for a moment when they landed on Al, but he relaxed a second later. Ed was grateful. The man stuck out his hand shyly. He was quiet, informing Ed he was a master sergeant and one of the youngest in the military. He learned that the man was great with technology.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ed was perplexed by the next team member:  Falman saluted him, standing stiffly at attention, for no discernable reason. Sure, Ed was a major, but Falman was many years older than him. "You don't have to salute me," the blond said, perplexed. Falman relaxed and nodded politely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A sudden hand on Ed's shoulder nearly caused him to jump, but he was able to refrain. He looked at the hand on his shoulder then to the man who had placed it there. "Don't worry about him, Chief; he's always been like that," the man chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ed shrugged him off, scowling. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. The name is Jean Havoc." Havoc stuck out his hand. The scowl dropped off Ed's face just a little, and he nodded politely. Havoc glanced down at his watch and gasped." Shit! I'm late!" The blond ran to his desk and began to collect his things. There was a collective sigh around the office.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's his deal?" Ed asked Mustang. Mustang sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's late for a date," the older man groaned, shaking his head. Ed frowned and narrowly avoided tilting his head out of curiosity. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's going on a date with some brunette chick," Breda grumbled. "She's-" A smack from Hawkeye cuts him off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Havoc, you better get all your work done before tomorrow!" she yelled as he ran out the door. "And for god's sake; who schedules a date on a 3:30 on Thursday afternoon?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ed couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped him; Al and the rest of the team laughed, which only caused him to laugh harder. When he managed to stop, Ed found himself glancing around the room, watching as Mustang's team joked around each other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled softly. Maybe he would like it here.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>It was 8 AM when the phone rang the next morning. Ed groaned, rolled over, and stuffed his head under his pillow. "Al," he groaned, "Get the phone." He pulled the sheets over his head, intending to bury himself like a mouse hiding away in its burrow. He groaned at the slight rays of sunlight that managed to slip in through the sheets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He drifted off for a few minutes, Al's voice lulling him to sleep. Then he was suddenly being shaken awake by Al. His eyes snapped open, and he squinted up at Al through the sleep in his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That was Colonel Mustang; he wants you to come to the office. He said he had something for you." Ed's eyes shut again, and it took a moment to process Al's words.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait a minute. . .</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes reopened, mind buzzing. This had to be it; Mustang had to be assigning Ed his first mission. He wouldn't have been calling so early if he didn't. He scrambled into the bathroom, splashing water in his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Brother, slow down! Why are you in such a rush anyway?" Al called from where he was in the kitchen making breakfast. Ed grinned as he threw a mint into his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think this is it, Al!" he yelled to his brother as he started braiding his hair. "Our first mission. It's about time the bastard gave me something. It's been weeks."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He heard Al sigh. "Brother, it's been two weeks." Ed rolled his eyes at his reflection.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Whatever, same thing." Ed tied off the braid and pulled on his black tank top, black coat, and red jacket. He double-checked himself in the mirror, frowning at the scars that peeked from the unbuttoned collar of the black coat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He paused, eyes glued to them. The blond traced them with his flesh fingers, grimacing at the numb but raised skin. He buttoned the collar and threw it from his mind. He didn't have time to dwell. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ed smelled bacon as he drifted out of the bathroom. His mouth watered, and he couldn't wait to taste how juicy it was. He plopped down into a seat at the table and shoved a biscuit into his mouth. It was creamy and buttery, and his body shuddered at the warmth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"There's orange juice in the fridge," Al said over his shoulder. Ed poured himself some orange juice and came to stand beside Al, watching as the bacon simmered in the pan. Al was quiet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Al, is something wrong?" He could feel something coming off Al in waves, but he couldn't determine what it was. Al paused what he was doing. He seemed. . .withdrawn. . .upset maybe. That was odd; Al was rarely withdrawn or upset.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's...its nothing, Brother. It's nothing you need to worry about." Al returned to pushing the bacon around the pan and cracking eggs in another. Ed frowned. He hated when Al didn't tell him his emotions. It was something he was doing more and more often.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blond plopped back down at his seat at the table. Al had been fine last night; they'd stayed up late reading and laughing before he fell asleep. So what could've happened? Did it have something to do with Mustang's phone call? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They sat in silence for a few minutes before the bacon was ready. Ed ate it slowly. He glanced at Al every few seconds. The armored boy was looking out the window. The alchemist swallowed and placed his hand over Al's.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The movement caught Al's attention. "Hey. . .if something's wrong, you can tell me, alright?" He smiled softly, a smile that always managed to make Al smile involuntarily whenever they were kids and open up even after he gained an armored body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It’s. . ." Al trailed off, but an encouraging look from the small blond urged him on. "I stayed behind to talk to the Colonel yesterday," Al admitted, looking away from his brother. Ed frowned; he remembered Al telling him he had something to do before meeting him at the library.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ed nodded, encouraging Al to continue. "He told me that he would be assigning you your first mission today." Al pauses, shaking his metal head. "It shouldn't bother me so much that he said that he told me that I wasn't going along."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ice sat heavy in Ed's stomach, a lump in his throat. He hadn't considered that Al wouldn't be allowed on his first mission. The ice turned into a forest fire. There was no way he was doing this mission without Al. Al was his partner in crime, his best friend. They'd signed up as dogs of the military even though Ed was the only one who had the watch and the title, but it was something they both shared. So, there was no way in hell he would let the bastard not allow him to bring his brother along. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blond breathed deeply. He patted Al's hand reassuringly. "I'll make him see reason when he assigns me the mission. You're coming with me, Al. We signed up together, so we're staying together." Al perked up at that, waves of relief and gratitude wafting off of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thank you, Brother." Ed could hear a smile in his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, what kind of big brother would I be if I didn't vouch for my little brother?" he joked, cracking a smile and knocking his automail fist against Al's chest plate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of breakfast settled into a more positive mood. The blond could tell that Al was much lighter. When everything had been cleaned up, and he was standing at the door, he hugged his brother tightly. The year of recovery from automail surgery was about to pay off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll probably be back around one. I'll tell you how it went."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Al nodded, the 11-year-old waving him off as he walked down the street. The smile dropped off Ed's face. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>How dare the bastard tell Al that</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Ed kicked the door to Mustang's office open with a slam, a deep frown on his face. Everyone looked up at him with wide eyes before continuing their job. In the few weeks he'd been there, Ed had garnered up quite the reputation of arguing and disrespecting Mustang.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's in his office, Edward," Hawkeye said, quickly, before sitting down at her desk and watching nervously as he kicked the door open and closed it with a hard slam.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bastard looked up quickly when Ed slammed the door shut. The blond flung himself down onto the couch and crossed his arms. The idiot stared at him for a moment before rolling his eyes and returning to scratching down something on a piece of paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah, Fullmetal, didn't expect you to be here so early," the bastard said after a moment of silence. Mustang rummaged around on his desk, picking up papers and shaking his head when they weren't the right thing. The young alchemist rolled his eyes. Like, really, who gave this idiot his state alchemist certification?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After moments of rummaging, the idiot finally found what he was looking for, to Ed's relief. "First mission." He smirked. Ed wanted to ruin that smile with a few less teeth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, Al told me after you called this morning," the blond said as he took the folder. He scanned through it, humming in concentration. "Also said that I was doing this mission alone." Ed gritted his teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bastard folded his fingers together with a neutral expression. He tilted his head. "He understood the reason I gave him last night," he said after a few tense moments. Ed's hands clenched around the folder; he tried his best not to start yelling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took in a breath. </span>
  <em>
    <span>In, out, in, out. Keep your cool.</span>
  </em>
  <span> "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Sir," </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ed started, voice cold. Mustang's eyebrows rose. "With all due to respect," he ground out, "my brother is coming with me. He's never been alone from me. I'm not leaving him behind now. Not after all we've been through."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Fullmetal, don't speak to me like that," Mustang spoke calmly, a warning simmering beneath the surface, daring Ed to challenge him. It only served to make Ed angrier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He growled low in his throat. "He's coming with me, </span>
  <em>
    <span>sir</span>
  </em>
  <span>." The growl was laced with venom. The two of them stood at a tense standstill, Ed glaring with unhidden rage and the bastard slowly narrowing his eyes and getting more annoyed with his insubordinate subordinate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bastard suddenly relaxed, a small smirk crawling onto his face. "Remind me, Elric, is it you or your brother that has the title 'Fullmetal'?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Me, but we're a team-" The protest was cut off by Mustang speaking over him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Exactly; you're the Fullmetal alchemist. You, Edward Elric, have the title granted to you by Fuhrer King Bradley. He can't follow you around forever, Elric."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm not in the mood to argue, Elric. Either you take the mission and do as it says in the file, or you don't, and there are consequences. And may I remind you that you need this job."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A growl rumbled in between bared teeth. Ed's fists clenched so hard that his flesh fist hurt, automail squealing quietly under pressure. The bastard didn't stand down from his furious glare. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Fine," Ed hissed through bared teeth. He flew to his feet, stalking to the door, hand on the handle when he turned around. "You better watch after him while I'm gone. If I come back and there's one thing wrong with him, I swear to Truth you will not see the light of day."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He opened the door quickly and slammed it shut behind him, not waiting for the bastard's response. He stomped out of the building, features twisted in a scowl, mind in a scatter trying to figure out what he's going to have to tell Al.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Screw that bastard.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Friday morning was dull and gray, made only darker as Ed and Al trudged quietly to the train station. It was so early that the blond could barely keep his eyes open. The blond kept the mission material under his arm, pinned closely to his side. The boys had talked for a long time yesterday about the blond going on the mission. Al didn't show it, but Ed could tell he was heartbroken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ed glanced down at the train ticket and then to the section posted on the wall. It looked like he was in the right area. Plopping down on the bench, he opened and closed the watch restlessly, catching a small glimpse at the time. 7:30, the first trainーthe train he had to catch at 7:45. He sighed heavily, swiping a hand over his exhaustion slackened features.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blond's heart ached. In a few minutes, he'd be leaving behind his brother for who knows how long. He and Al hadn't been apart from each other sinceーwell,l he didn't know how long, which worsened the anxiety. Ed was about to be alone in Central City with nobody to turn to. Except for some handler named Maes Hughes, who he learned, from Mustang, would pick him up from the train station.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clearly, Mustang didn't trust him; why he didn't have Al come, the blond didn't know. Well, if Mustang didn't trust him, then he sure as hell wasn't going to trust the bastard that handled him or whoever the hell Maes Hughes was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next 15 minutes passed by in what felt like an eternity. The whistle was like glass shattering during a fierce storm; sudden and tremendously loud. He stood up quickly, stretching out his back and sighing as it popped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The train slowed to a halt, and the conductor called out its destination. Ed picked up the suitcase, stepping over the train’s threshold. He turned back, Al’s massive form over the other side. The smile he flashed Al didn’t meet his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to miss you, Brother,” Al said quietly. If he were anyone else, he would’ve missed the small sob that caught in Al’s voice. It was heartbreaking, and there was no way to make it any better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blond sighed softly and wrapped his arms around his younger brother; there were no words to explain how he felt. Nothing could describe the agony of leaving Al behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Al moved to his knees to be at Ed’s height (No! He wasn’t small!) and wrapped his unfeeling limbs around Ed’s torso. Ed buried his face in Al’s chest plate, trying to shove down the rough lump in his throat that threatened to bubble into a sob.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The train whistled again; it was time to leave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see you later.” He extracted himself from Al’s arms. He didn’t look back as he crossed the threshold and walked deeper into the train.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He waved at Al’s retreating figure until it disappeared from view.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey! I hope y'all enjoyed reading! This fic will probably be posted at random for a while but I don't intend for incredibly long update times. If you enjoyed it, feel free to leave a comment and tell me what y'all think! Thank y'all so much!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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